A NEW community hub has opened at Joint Force Command Brunssum after a team of volunteers revamped the old British Café, which closed in February.

Lieutenant General Stuart Skeates CBE, Deputy Commander Joint Force Command Brunssum, formally opened the centre on 16 September.

The kitchen has been replaced and sofas, lamps and soft furnishings have been added to the new British Community Corner, as it has been named, to give it a more homely feel.

The British Community Fund granted the committee €1,500 to buy stock, but all of the refurbishment work was done voluntarily, with the community involved in the design and planning. 

The aim is to provide a warm, welcoming place for members of the British and international community. Run by a mixture of paid and volunteer staff, it consists of a bring one and take one library, a shop selling UK-sourced goods, as well as a coffee shop. It also provides a space to sell handmade crafts and older children can enjoy a game of table football.  

The new centre gives the Community Liaison Officer, HIVE, Learning Centre and Support Unit a place for quiz nights, coffee mornings, hosted lunches, children’s parties and baking classes. One of the first events to take place was a Macmillan coffee morning, with all profits going to Macmillan Cancer Care.

AFF’s EJSU Co-ordinator, Anna Hall, said: “I am really looking forward to seeing this new family-friendly space.”

Related Posts